Persephone's Pomegranate 3D Embroidered Brooch

This pomegranate brooch is a piece of textile thread art I created for an art challenge called "Folktale Week." Inspired by the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, I created this brooch from canvas material, stuffed it with wool batting, and hand embroidered the partial sphere with various red threads to look like a pomegranate.

Price: $45

The tiny Czech glass beads, lined with silver, to create the illusion of shiny pomegranate seeds finish the design.The plush pomegranate was then mounted on a filigree brass plate and attached to a brooch pin backing.

“Do not worry about your contradictions - Persephone is both floral maiden and queen of death. You, too, can be both.” ― Nichole McElhaney, A Sisterhood of Thorns and Vengeance

Nichole's quote has always struck so true for me. Being a huntress growing up, enjoying the anatomy of disassembling animals and understanding from where my meat comes has made me feel a little darker? More vicious? Certainly more carnal--than my peers.

Quiet rage at always feeling different and seeing the world differently, bloody hands, often with a bow in my hair and flowers in a vase back at camp--I have lived contradictions for a long time. Persephone has been a fascinating and relatable character for me since I first started studying ancient folklore as a child.

I wanted to create something that reflected her subtly for the first Folktale Week prompt of "home."

The story varies as to the consensual circumstance of Hades falling in love with beautiful Persephone and inviting/kidnapping her (daughter of Demeter—the goddess of harvest, grains, and vegetation) and taking her to the Underworld as his bride.

Older stories say she accepted his invitation and willingly ate a single pomegranate seed—meaning she could not leave the Underworld permanently and rejoin the gods of Olympus--effectively marrying Hades.

Demeter, seeking her missing daughter during this time, abandons all duties and the Earth succumbs to bareness. Seeing her unhappiness at missing Earth and her mother, Persephone is allowed to return to Earth for half the year, but returns to the Underworld for the other half .

Persephone is Queen of the dead, bringing down punishments with her tiny iron fist, but she is also the floral maiden who brings about flowers and babies and beautiful colors.

She is the ultimate pastel goth—many stories referring to her as “dreaded Persephone” or “protectress of the afterlife” seemingly illustrating the alternating fear, or lack there of, of death itself depending on the storyteller themselves.

In either case, she’s fascinating and the single pomegranate seed she ate, ensured that she not only had a home with her husband, but also with the living.

This textile pomegranate took waaaay longer to make than I thought it would! Thread painting the entire thing and then beading it took many hours, but I love how it turned out!

I asked in my Instagram stories last week if it should be a brooch or necklace charm and the brooch vote won! I hope you like it!

All handmade jewelry designs fly to their new homes in pretty boxes tied with ribbons!

After purchase, your item(s) will be shipped within 1-3 days and you'll receive shipping information from Paypal.

I'm Ashley! I love sewing little treasures by hand and fairy tales make me happy! This is where I share and sell my embroidery art, patterns, and fabric sculptures I create to make your life a little more *magical*